Internships In Geography

Preliminary Steps

Students must consult with an academic advisor prior to beginning this process.

1. At the Career Development Center (CDC)
   • Prepare a draft resume for your faculty advisor to approve.
   • Go through the CDC's mock interview process.
2. Finding an Internship
   • Check with the department secretary to see the current listing of approved internship hosting companies, organizations, and agencies.
     Secure Link For Faculty Advisors: Current Site Agreement List
   • View the Recent Internships listing below and the Alumni Contacts page for examples of recently completed internships.
   • Visit the Commonwealth of PA Internships site and search under Geographer, GIS Analyst or GIS Technician.
   • Visit your local borough or township hall and ask about the possibility of interning with them.
   • Take advantage of personal contacts. Perhaps you can use personal contacts to get an introduction at a company or organization.
   • Check your KU e-mail.  Internship announcements will be e-mailed to majors by the Department of Geography as they are received.
3. Securing an Internship Site Agreement
   • Internships may only be done for academic credit with entities approved by the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE). Check with the department secretary to determine whether or not the potential internship organization already has an active Internship Site Agreement with PASSHE. If not currently approved, the department secretary must send a request to the Provost’s Office to have an agreement form sent to the organization. For this process, you must provide the department secretary with contact information for the hosting organization. The approval step may take several weeks, so this must be done early in the process.

Internship Application Form

Page 1 of the Internship Application Form requires the following information:

• Name of the intern and dates of the internship
• KU Advisor/Instructor's name
• Organization name
• Name and contact information for the person overseeing the intern (Site Supervisor)
• Information to be supplied by the Site Supervisor:
  • A complete description of the duties of the intern
  • Hours to be worked
  • Any remuneration
  • Signature on page 2

Page 2 of the Internship Application Form requires the following information:

• Signatures
  • Employer/Site Supervisor
  • Student Intern
  • Advisor/Instructor
  • Geography Department Chair
  • Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

Click HERE for a sample Internship Application Form.

Application Expenses
If a potential hosting organization requires background checks and/or drug tests as part of the internship application process, but will not pay for them, the student may apply for a Babb Internship Expense Award through the Department of Geography.

Internship/Field Experience Registration Approval Form

The student intern must register for GEG 394: Internship in Geography prior to commencing the internship in order to qualify for academic credit. This form should be completed and signed by the student under the guidance of the Advisor/Instructor.

The following set of additional signatures is required to complete the form:

• Student Intern
• Advisor/Instructor
• Geography Department Chair
• Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

As with any KU course, the student intern is expected to pay the applicable registration fees. Failure to complete this step means that academic credit cannot be given for the internship experience.

Click HERE for a sample Registration Approval Form.

Employer Evaluation Form

Toward the mid-point of the internship period, either the Advisor/Instructor or the Department Secretary will send a PDF version of the Employer Evaluation Form to the Site Supervisor.

The Employer Evaluation Form is to be completed at the end of the internship period by the Site Supervisor. The completed form must then be returned to the Department of Geography either through the mail, or via email as a scanned image or a digitally signed PDF. The form will be forwarded to the Advisor/Instructor and a copy held in the Department. Note: Although the completed form should not be given to the student intern for return to the Department of Geography, the student intern is welcome to discuss the Employer Evaluation form with the Advisor/Instructor.

Information from the Employer Evaluation Form will be used as part of the Advisor/Instructor's evaluation process of the student intern's performance as described on the Internship Application form. The Advisor/Instructor may not turn in a course grade without having received this form.

Click HERE for a sample Employer Evaluation Form.